After the series ended on Thursday (January 4), India’s superb player Virat Kohli gifted his autographed Test uniform to South African spin bowler Keshav Maharaj. Both teams happily held the trophy together. They drew the 2-game Test series 1-1.
Interestingly, the two Tests concluded in a just five days combined. at three days, South Africa won the opening match at Centurion by an innings and thirty-two runs. The second Test was then won by India by seven wickets in just five sessions over the course of two days after a magnificent comeback.
![keshav maharaj](https://the100sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/New-Project-2024-01-05T115325.042-1024x576.webp)
Although Keshav Maharaj was not included in the Centurion team, he was given an opportunity to play this week in Cape Town. But in both innings, South Africa did not require his assistance with the ball. Due to the favorable conditions for seamers on the pitch, Dean Elgar, the captain of the home team, did not give him the ball once over the two days.
In the first Test, Virat Kohli shone bright for India. He scored 38 and 76 in two rounds. Next, he took the lead, scoring 46 in the returning team, in the second Test. A lead of 98 runs was the result of his key role. Kohli, unfortunately, made just 12 in the second round on Thursday, when India was close to a significant victory.
![Virat Kohli](https://the100sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/New-Project-2023-12-27T124504.967-1024x576.webp)
Keshav Maharaj posted a photo on his official Instagram. The picture revealed a present from Virat Kohli after the Cape Town Test. He added a caption to it:
One for the Wall, Thank you @virat.kohli ???? ????
The great man just showed how somebody can reinvent his own batting: Sanjay Manjrekar on Virat Kohli
![Virat Kohli Indian Player](https://the100sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/New-Project-2023-12-29T195536.058-1024x576.webp)
Sanjay Manjrekar, a past Indian cricket pro, lately praised Virat Kohli. The reason? He tweaked his game! He came through when it was hard to bat. When day one of Test number two ended, Manjrekar shared with ESPNcricinfo about Kohli’s impressive 46-run output.
“I think he’s just more clear in his head. The last series [in South Africa], I keep harping on the fact that he had a strike rate of 34. I am sure somewhere he has decided that it’s not going to happen again – clear mind, no burden of captaincy, no pressure of retaining leadership, just focusing on his batting. The great man just showed how somebody can reinvent his own batting.”
Sanjay Manjrekar
Virat Kohli concluded the series, scoring 172 runs, ranking him second. Dean Elgar, scoring 201 runs in 3 innings, claimed the lead.